Product Reviews

International Olympian Helmet by Pat Straka

I walked into The Tack Shop one Friday evening just before closing time in my search for the “impossible helmet” --- (1) SEI-certified, (2)comfortable/well fitting, (3) cool, (4)light weight, (5)no ‘skunk stripes’, and (6)velvet covered for a size 7+ possibly long oval head!  My current International ProRider fit well enough, but was hot and heavy; good enough for winter shows, but terrible in the summer (I had to warm up in my well- ventilated schooling helmet and then put on the show helmet just before entering the ring)

 After listening to my plea, Glyn took measuring tape in hand and the search began.  She measured my head, explained a bit about how helmets were made and started opening boxes.  And what I ended up with was an International Olympian which had just arrived at the store that week.

 First impressions were good.  The velvet covered helmet has large, concealed front vents; you can see the vents from the inside but not the outside.  There are two small, visible vents (smaller than a dime) at the back of the helmet.  The tan leather harness is adjustable as well as the black nylon chin strap (that has a black suede chin piece for comfort).  It fit me well and according to my accompanying friend “looks a whole lot slimmer and nicer than your old helmet!” 

Saturday morning found me out at the barn with the new helmet.  I promised my horse that we were just going to test the helmet and when I got too hot we would stop.  I never got “too hot” after an hour of working/riding.  When I took my helmet off, the top of my head was dry.  My hair was only damp around the outside.  A great first ride……… 

The final test of the helmet was a local dressage schooling show the next weekend.  Ride times were in the afternoon, and, of course, it was very hot and humid that day.  The new helmet worked great and the schooling helmet stayed in the tack trunk.  Warmed up and rode two tests without melting in the heat!    

Bottom line:  I really like my new International Olympian. I have and will recommend it to anyone looking for a safe, comfortable, cool and nice looking show helmet.  And what a bargain for $105.99!

I recently tried Hoof Freeze for the first time.  My horse’s feet are very sensitive and we have to be very careful when traveling to parts of the state where the ground is hard. I have taken him to a showing facility where the ground is so hard that, after a night in the stall, his legs have been so stocked up and sore, I was unable to ride him the next day.  With Hoof Freeze, his feet are not sore and his legs do not get stocked up.  I ride him in the hunters and need all of the movement I can get, and Hoof Freeze helps me get it.  The only suggestion I can make is to wear gloves!  I spilled some on my hands and the iodine was very difficult to get out.  I would suggest this product to anyone who has a horse with sensitive feet or who strenuously works their horse.  It’s a great product, and helped my horse feel more comfortable while showing.

Thrush Magic by Linda Shaffer

Thrush Magic is nothing short of magic! We battled thrush with our horse for almost a year. I know that environment plays a big part in thrush and some will argue that thrush is exclusively a result of poor care and environmental upkeep, yet out of 12 horses who have every aspect of their care and keep equal, ours was the only horse with thrush. We used Coppertox for a while and then switched to Thrushbuster with slightly better results. Several "old remedies" were also tried without success either. Last month, the thrush got so bad that the sensitive part of the hoof became involved and he began to limp. I saw the Thrush Magic at The Tack Shop and bought two tubes to try. Two days after the first application, their was only the faintest smell of thrush during the hoof cleaning. After the second application their was no sign of thrush left and the horse was trotting and frolicking in his usual manner. We are now using the Thrush Magic once a week as a preventative treatment and his hooves look better than they have in the past year that we have had the horse. Besides the fact the product works, it is very easy to apply and tenaciously sticks to the bottom of the hooves regardless of whether the horse is in his stall or out to pasture. I hope their are some hooves out there that can benefit from our good experience.
 

Miracle Groom by Ashley Kriegel

The spray-on Miracle Groom I used really is a miracle. After I washed my horse, I sprayed Miracle Groom on her tail to see how this product worked. I really was surprised to find that in about ten minutes, my horse’s tail looked thoroughly brushed and when I combed my fingers through it I found no tangles. I really liked the texture because it was very natural, and not slippery like Showsheen can be. This product can also be used on the coat and since it doesn’t have a slick texture, it can be used safely on areas such as the saddle and girth a couple of hours before the horse is ridden. I enjoyed using the product and I highly recommend it.

 Miracle Groom is also known to make keeping a horse clean easier because light dirt doesn't adhere to it